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R F HAYES Brace for Packing Hats. No. 240,128.

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N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASNINGYON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT @mirent RICHARD F. HAYES, OF NEW YORK, rN. Y.

BRACE FOR PACKING HATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,128, dated April 12, 1881.

Application tiled February 15, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. HAvEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Braces for Packing Hats, ot' which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to retain a hat, when the same is placed in a box, firmly in position, so that in shipping the box the hatis not liable to sustain any injury by the jar ot railroad-ears, or by careless handling of the packages during transportation.

Myinvention consists,essentially,in the combin-ation, with a box for packing hats, ot' a brace formed ot' a strip of metal or other material, having a depression to iit within the head-opening of the hat, and constructed at each end with an arm to bear on the brim of the hat, the said arms being bent upwardly, and provided with means attaching them to the packing-box, all of which will be fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of a hat-box furnished with my brace. Fig. 2 is a central section ot the same. Fig. 3 is an end view ot the brace dethe hat, and with arms b, which extend in opposite directions, and are intended to bear upon the face ot' the brim of the hat to be 4o`paeked, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer ends of the arms b are bent upward, as shown inV Figs. 2 and 3, and they are provided with spurs c. (Best seen in Fig. 3.)

In manufacturing my braces I make them of different sizes to, correspond to the diiferent sizes of hats, so that foreach hat to be packed a brace of corresponding size can readily be picked out.

In packing hats I use a box, B, of the usual form and construction. The boxes generally used for this purpose are made of pasteboard and of suitable size to contain three or more hats, as shown in Fig. 2. To the bottom of each box is firmly secured a cylinder, d, for the reception of the crown of the largest hat in the lot or nest, and between the inner surface of this crown and the crown of the next succeeding hat is placed a ring, c, of pasteboard or card-board, and so on to the last hat in the nest. It' the cover O of the box is put on, and the box is transported in vehicles or railroad-cars, the jar to which the box is necessarily exposed actsinjuriouslyon the hats, and particularly the brim ot' thelastorsmallestha-t in the nest isliable to become damaged by abrasion and being bent out ot' shape. Ihis difficulty is prevented by my brace A, the depression a of which tits the head-opening ot' the last 0r smallest hat in the nest, while the arms b extend over and bear down upon the face of the brim ot' said hat, and are secured in position by bending their ends down over the top edge ot' the box and fastening them thereto by means of the spurs c, as shown in Fig. 2.

It' desired, the spurs c may be left oit, and the brace can be fastened simply b'y clamping the top edge ot' they box firmly between the ends ot' the arms b, or other suitable means for fastening the brace in position may be used.

It will be evident that by the employment ot' a strip to form the brace, as hereinbefore described, it is capable of itting and holding a hat of any ordinary size, because the strip can be bent-or made to adapt itself' to the siz of-the head-opening of the hat.

By the action ot' my brace the hat or hats contained in the box A are retained iirmly in position, and they are not liable to become damaged by transportation, or by careless handling of the packages.

I am aware that a hat-box has been pro- IOO bear on the brim of the hat, and having their outer ends bent upwardly, and provided with means attaching them to the packing-box, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a box for packing hats, of the strip A, of metal or other material, formed with a depression, a, and arms b b, the ends of which are bent upwardly and clasp the upper edge of the box, and are provided with spurs entering the box, all sub- 1o' stantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hund and seal in the presence of two subsoribingmitnesses.

RICHARD F. HAYES.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, CHAs. WAHLERS. 

